Set Up
by GeezerWench
Summary: Jasper was merely waiting for Bella to get over herself. Twilight AU. It's rather bloody. Language. Suspense, drama, touch of humor, smidgeon of romance.
1. Set Up: Chapter 1

01/12/2016

 **Disclaimer** : Derivative work. No money is made. By me.

 **A/N** : I've had this sitting in the computer for a while, and I thought I could maybe submit it to a Twilight fanfiction contest. I read the rules very carefully again, and saw this "Edward/Bella only," which I did not recall seeing before.

Screw _that_ shit. So, here it is. There will be three chapters.

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~0~

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Standing motionless in the middle of the darkened kitchen, sweat trickled down Bella's temples and the back of her neck beneath her high pony tail. She wondered again why she thought a fresh cup of milky, honey-sweetened coffee was a good idea.

From upstairs, she could just make out the thrum of the box fan jammed into her bedroom window drawing the hot air from her room.

Well, it was moving the hot air from her room to the extremely warm air outside.

Yes _. That_ bedroom window. The very one Edward had used as his own personal entrance to the house.

After the way he had treated her, if she ever saw him again she thought she'd break that fan over his head—after lighting it on fire first.

On the off chance he ever showed his baby face again, she had a can of lighter fluid at the ready and several boxes of matches placed strategically about her room.

Teeth clenched, she inhaled a deep, soggy, not-quite-cleansing breath and released it, bringing her back to the nearly unbearable conditions in the house. Every light was off in an attempt to make it _appear_ cooler, and every window was open to try and catch the nonexistent breeze.

It had been hotter in Phoenix, but at least drowning in the humidity, and her own sweat, had never been a real concern.

Charlie's excuse was it had never been so hot before, and that was why he'd never had air conditioning installed in the house.

She thought it was more like Charlie was being a nickel-noser, and they would definitely be having a discussion about it when he got home from work. Right after she set a nice, chilled, fresh-from-the-refrigerator salad in front of him for dinner, and he'd better eat it before it wilted.

If she hadn't died of heat stroke by then. It was much too hot to cook that slab of meat he expected every night for dinner.

Grabbing a faded dish towel from the cupboard by the stove, Bella swiped at the fresh beads of perspiration forming on her face. She peeled her tank top loose from her sticky skin, and flapped the thin material.

Completely useless exercise.

She shoved the towel in the back pocket of her cut-offs and pressed her forehead against the slightly cooler metal of the ancient refrigerator. The heat was so stifling, she would almost prefer that she'd been scheduled to work, but even Newton's Outfitter's frigid air wasn't worth dealing with Mike following her around like a little lost puppy.

A puppy would have been a more engaging conversationalist.

At least he was nice. But why couldn't the boy take a hint?

He'd kept his distance after Edward had left her. Not that she'd given anyone a choice about it with her stupid wallowing in self-pity.

Like she was the only person, ever—in the whole wide world—to get dumped.

To avoid Mike, she fled to La Push. As her friend Jacob had coaxed some life back into her while distracting her by working on a couple of little motorcycles she'd saved from the salvage yard, whenever Mike happened to see her, he would angle closer. He'd even been jealous over her friendship with Jake.

As if that wasn't bad enough, at the bonfire on the beach after graduation, Jacob had been panting over her and had gotten all bristly and Neanderthal-like when, with a smile, Bella had handed Mike a soda and a hot dog. She'd been standing right in front of the table with the food. What was she supposed to do? Ignore him? She was only being polite. Just like with everyone else.

And how had she not been aware of Jacob's increasing possessiveness?

Too caught up in her own little world.

Neither one was getting the message she just wasn't interested in dating them, and they had been getting on her very last nerve. She had harrumphed at them and stomped off to sit with Angela before she slugged them both.

Contrary to what she assumed were her deeply ingrained beliefs, a sly smile grew across her face at the mental image of slapping the eager grins off each of their faces. So what if she broke her hand against Jacob's wolf-hardened, thick skull?

No one else hounded her as much as they did.

 _Ha! Hounded._ _Jake the wolf and Mike the Golden Retriever._

She chuckled at her own joke.

To celebrate the oddly satisfying thought of physical violence, she decided to make her hot coffee into a frosty milkshake.

As she reached for the freezer door to dig for the ice cream, a welcome puff of cool air wafted over her neck and shoulders, and she sighed in relief. "A breeze! Thank God."

"You're welcome."

Whirling around to confront the unknown owner of the deep voice, her feet tangled in her flip-flops, and she fell back against the refrigerator. It had been a while since anyone had suddenly just appeared in her house, and she was already more than a little irked.

It was dim enough in the kitchen, she couldn't tell who he was, and at that moment, she didn't care. _Nobody_ invaded her kitchen. She was fed up with people, or creatures, just waltzing in like they owned the place. "Who … who the hell are you?"

One leisurely step brought him out of the shadows.

Her mouth fell open and her mind stalled at the sight of the tall blond standing there. "J-Jasper?" There was something different about him, but otherwise, he looked exactly the same. "What are you doing here? Why'd you come back?"

"I never left," he replied, cocking his head to the side and crossing his arms over his wide chest.

"What? I thought everyone left. Edward said—"

Jasper's eyebrows rose. "And you believed _everything_ Edward said?"

Flummoxed by his sudden appearance, and the fact he was wearing a T-shirt and worn blue jeans instead of a crisply ironed Oxford shirt and khakis—though the tasseled loafers he had on threw her for a loop—Bella stammered, "Yes … uh, no." She thumped her head to shake her stuck brain loose. "Edward's a jerk!" She glowered at the smirk creeping across the vampire's handsome face.

"Good girl."

"Huh?" Mimicking his pose, Bella folded her arms over her chest and scowled darkly. "And what do you mean _you never left_?"

"Just what I said. _They_ left. I didn't."

"You've been here the whole time?" Bella threw her hands up. "What were you doing? How come the wolves didn't know you were here?"

"I was watching _you_." Another indolent step brought him closer. "Those wolf cubs are idiots. Keepin' under their radar was child's play."

Bella was having a hard time assimilating what he was saying. He'd been there the whole time? The wolves hadn't seen or smelled him? He'd seen her falling apart and hadn't even said a word? "You could have let me know you were here!" she complained. "I … I was …"

"All broken up over your boyfriend leaving you. Pining over your lost love." Jasper scornfully finished her sentence, and blew out a disparaging breath. "That wasn't _entirely_ your fault. Edward used every trick in the book to keep you under his control—including _dazzling_ you every moment. He was in your room each night, ensuring you, and your bed, were saturated with his scent. There's nothing a human can do to fight it." Jasper then grinned at her, displaying brilliantly white teeth. "You became a whole lot more interesting when you started to. It was making Edward nervous. It's why he decided to leave for a time." Jasper paused to examine his nails. "With a little help from me." His eyes flicked up to hers.

Fingertips pressed to her forehead, Bella was shaking her head again. "But you attacked and then Edward said—"

"It was the only way to make him leave without him killing you first."

.

~0~


	2. Set Up: Chapter 2

01/14/2016

 **Disclaimer** : Derivative work. I make no money.

 **A/N** : Have a look at the banner on betterintexasfiction*ning*com/group-hub/set-up-ff

Take out the * and add a .

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~0~

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When she dropped her hands from in front of her face, Bella discovered Jasper had slunk closer. "I don't understand. Alice said she saw me as a vampire with Edward." Her feeble and needy tone made her cringe.

"Not exactly." Jasper snorted in disgust. "It was the truth when she said she saw you as a vampire. The rest of it? Typical Alice bullshit. You have to understand she's not so bad, but she lives in her own little fantasy world. When Edward showed an interest, she _decided_ you would be perfect for him, _and_ you would be her bestest friend ever—after she made you over first. _He_ never wanted to turn you. What? Change you and lose all that delicious blood? Alice was positive she could convince him to change his mind. She just chose to ignore what he _really_ wanted."

" _Alice_ decided … but her visions …" Bella's voice faded away. " _Really_ wanted?"

"You're smarter that, sweetheart." Jasper's sardonic smile was back and one eyebrow twitched upward. "He can read everyone's mind but yours. Or he thinks he can. Your silent mind was too much for him. Then, from the moment he caught your scent, he planned to drain you dry. In the meantime, it was the ultimate test to see how long he could resist his singer's blood. By the time he brought you to the house to meet the _family_ , you were already under his spell. I was curious to see how long you would last."

"But, the baseball game … James …"

Jasper glanced Heavenward, slowly shaking his head. "Edward panicked when he heard James' thoughts. He was terrified James would get to that sweet nectar first, and he couldn't allow _that_. Alice had a vision of him draining you to keep you from James. Don't you remember his insistence that he take you far away and hide you?" He sighed as if the weight of the world was pressing down on his admirably wide shoulders. "Your father knew you were with us, otherwise, I'd have stepped in then." The tip of his tongue brushed across his lips. "I told Alice we needed to get you away from Edward before he exposed us all. It was easy enough to talk him into having Alice and me take you to Phoenix. But then you got away from me. You're the only human I wanted who ever managed that."

Jasper touched the top of her bare shoulder with one cool fingertip and drew a seductively slow line down to her elbow. It was gratifying to see her pleasurable shiver. "Edward stopped James from getting more than a sip, but, to his eternal regret, he couldn't take more than a taste with Carlisle breathing down his neck. Daddy would have been so disappointed if Edward drained you then." Jasper pursed his lips and tilted his head. "While Edward played the part of Carlisle's dutiful yet self-loathing, guilt-ridden protégé, refusing to damn your soul to Hell, I took care of James. It was a little distracting when Edward got a mouthful of your blood and shot his load. If the rest of us hadn't been there, he'd have latched onto your neck and fucked you right then."

Aghast at that little nugget of information, Bella's eyes widened even farther. Edward had always told her it was too dangerous and that was why he rebuffed her romantic advances. She had begun to think he never wanted to touch her. Apparently he had, but only if there was blood sucking death involved.

"Nice." Jasper murmured appreciatively as her already flushed face glowed pink. "Afterward, I waited to see how you would react to Edward not _allowing_ you to change. You had to realize then he wasn't going to do it."

She had, but she absolutely refused to give Jasper the satisfaction of answering. She could only stare up into his darkening eyes.

"You knew, but you were so enthralled, and so afraid he'd leave, you didn't protest." Jasper lifted his other hand and traced the curve of Bella's jaw. "It took a few months, but you began to rebel. He saw it and was becoming desperate. He enjoyed controlling you too much to kill you yet, although, after tasting you, he was weakening. It was time for him to go. I reminded Alice your birthday was coming up. She thought a party was a _grand_ idea." He shifted closer. "One little drop of blood wasn't a problem for anyone but him. But, alas, sucking you dry in front of the entire family would have shattered his carefully built façade. He shoved you across the room to get you away from him. It worked out better than I could have hoped when he made you bleed all over the living room. He convinced the rest of them to leave for _your_ own good."

Jasper was mere inches in front of her, and his long body was drawing the heat from hers. He licked the tip of his index finger and painted a tingling line across her bottom lip.

She fought the nearly overwhelming compulsion to lick her lips and taste him.

"Mommy and Daddy think their poor boy is mourning the loss of his _one true love_." Jasper sneered. "They all believe he's tracking Victoria. Remember her?"

An image of wild, red curls and delicately lovely pale face flashed through her mind. A jolt of fear glued her to the solid weight of the refrigerator. She gulped.

He reached smoothly behind his back, produced a tattered, soiled piece of cloth, and held it up for inspection. "Ah, Victoria, I hardly knew ye. I have to admit … she _did_ keep the shifter-wolves occupied with her hide-and-seek games. They're so hopped up on their own delusions of indestructibility, they can't tell one vampire from another."

Bella took a wary half-step forward to peer more closely at the bit of fabric.

Jasper opened his fingers, allowing the pale rag to flutter to the floor. "That's about all that's left of her. Except for a few bits here and there."

His lips curved in another lop-sided grin. "Edward's been skipping back and forth across the Mexican border, indulging in the local cuisine—and not the coyotes and rattlers—while he lets the anticipation of finally imbibing in your blood build. He's about to crack."

Utterly flabbergasted by all the disclosures, and the fact the scent of Jasper's venom made her mouth water, she staggered back and hit the refrigerator with a thud.

She'd never heard him talk so much before. With Alice and Edward around, he hadn't gotten much of a chance. Couldn't get a word in edgewise.

No one could.

She found it equally disturbing how mesmerizing the cadence and lilt of the sound of those words were.

Even through the turmoil in her mind, she tried to analyze everything he'd said and place it in some sort of order. Two things stood out.

Edward-the-Pious was eating people.

Victoria was finally dead.

What if Jasper was lying?

What if he wasn't?

For some reason, she believed him, and she was so relieved Victoria was no longer a threat she almost dropped to the floor. But the other stuff? She had known Edward hadn't truly loved her, but to think she had been nothing more than a tasty little treat? Letting the wine breathe and enjoying its bouquet before swallowing? An experiment? It cut deep—again—to have her suspicions confirmed, and it sent her mind into a spiraling descent. She had cared for and pined for them all, and she was so _angry_ they had left without even saying goodbye. But who bade a fond farewell to the leftovers that had been in the fridge too long? "But _you_ stayed? You were _here_ and saw me, and you didn't _say_ anything?"

"I stayed. Little Jakie was more than willing to put up with your shit." He bent his head, bringing his mouth closer to hers. "I was just waitin' for you to get over yourself."

"What?" Bella couldn't tear her eyes away from the fullness of his lips. "What about your _wife_?" Bella asked scornfully.

"Hasn't even bothered to call. She's shopping, or whatever the hell she does." He shrugged indifferently. "To shut Saint Carlisle up, Jasper Cullen married her." His spicy, alluring breath washed enticingly over her face. " _I'm_ Jasper Whitlock."

All the jagged, dirty little pieces of Jasper's insinuations crashed into place, and Bella saw the whole sordid picture. Not only had Edward been toying with her, saving and savoring the juicy appetizer for later, Alice had been as well. And _Jasper_! He must have had a jolly old time, sitting back, laughing, and watching the tragically pitiful human dance to whatever tune they were singing.

She abruptly realized his nose was almost touching hers. Was he trying to _kiss_ her?

Fury detonated within her, sending a raging heat throughout her body. Before his lips touched hers, she planted her hands on his chest and shoved him away, momentarily forgetting she was only able to because he allowed it.

"You manipulative bastard! It was all a set up!" Bella snatched her coffee mug from the counter and hurled it at him. It exploded against his chest, ceramic shards and sweet droplets flying in every direction.

Jasper ignored the coffee dripping from his face and neck. "In a manner of speaking. It's what vampires do."

"You son of a _bitch_!"

" _That's_ my girl," he remarked with a hint of pride in his voice.

He didn't bat an eye when she grabbed the coffee maker, with a nearly full pot, and heaved it with a grunt. It hit his arm and steaming hot coffee, and glass and white-plastic shrapnel flew everywhere.

"Every single one of you were _playing_ with me!"

"No, just Edward and Alice." He nonchalantly flicked a piece of glass from his arm. "I was playing _them_."

The sugar bowl whistled past his head and sailed into the foyer, but she nailed him in the belly with the toaster.

He _did_ flinch when Bella whipped the long, serrated bread knife from its slot in the wooden block and flung it at him, but only because she could have lost a finger. Waiting to get it reattached the human way would have been an aggravating delay in his plans.

With another furious screech, Bella hefted one of the mismatched kitchen chairs and swung. When it connected with Jasper's hip and thigh, it jarred her down to her toes. She, and the chair, rebounded and tumbled to the floor. She kicked off her flip-flops and scrambled to her feet.

"You … you knew what they were doing." Her quivering index finger was aimed directly at his heart. "You _knew_ , and you let them _use_ me! For _months_ , you stood in your damn corners and watched. You orchestrated the whole thing. You're nothing but a lying sack of shit!" She drew her arm back, determined to slap that superior look off his face.

He caught her wrist a hair's breadth from striking him. "I never lied to you."

She wasn't expecting him to let go when she wrenched her hand away. Arms pin-wheeling, she slammed into the refrigerator for the third time.

There were red drips and smears all over her formerly clean floor.

Searing pain in the bottoms of her feet made its presence known with a fiery pulse, and she shuddered and crumpled, landing hard on her tail bone.

Crying out, she reached for her right foot, drew it up toward her face, and stared in disbelief at the pottery and glass bits sticking out of it.

She blinked and there was blood all over her hands.

With each thump of her heart, bright red oozed and dripped onto her thigh and the trashed floor.

She briefly wondered why she hadn't passed out yet. Or had she? Could she have bled so much already?

Sucking in a rasping breath through her teeth, she plucked a large sliver of what she thought was the coffee pot out of her heel and examined it. Even coated in crimson, it was still shiny and glittered in the low light. Much like the other blood and coffee-stained fragments scattered across the linoleum.

It finally occurred to her she was bleeding all over the place and Jasper hadn't pounced.

Her eyes flew up to his.

"Think I'm going to attack? That's what _they_ thought at your birthday party."

Bella gawked at the blond. It was extremely annoying the smirk seemed to have found a permanent home.

Indistinct black and grey spots were floating around and popping in and out of her field of view, and Bella was beginning to feel light-headed and woozy. She suddenly couldn't recall why she had been so angry. She'd remember in another moment or two. Her fuzzy vision returned to the red dripping from her hands. "I have to clean this up," she mumbled.

Groping for the handle on the refrigerator and the edge of the counter, she hauled herself up, hissing and grimacing with the renewed agony in her feet.

She went reeling when she saw rusty-red streaks and smears across the old white appliance.

Bracing her slick hands on the counter, she worked her way toward the sink, knocking over the knife block and sending the mug tree crashing to the floor.

She almost screamed when she felt a stinging burn on her hand. She looked down and there was a bloody knife lying on the counter and a gaping slice across her palm. More blood was running down her arm and dripping off her elbow.

She collapsed against the sink, gasping, pondering the weird lack of nausea. She expected it to hit any moment. Sweat was pouring down her face, but a strange chill had taken over her entire body. Remembering the vampire behind her, she forced her head around to check on his whereabouts.

He hadn't moved, but was that blood splattered across the table and window blinds beyond it?

Who had closed the blinds? She'd had all the windows open.

After another slow blink, the next thing she was aware of was being held against Jasper's cool body as he silently stepped backward across the destroyed room.

He placed something in her unsliced hand. "Hold this," he ordered.

She promptly dropped whatever it was. "What's that? What are you doing?" She couldn't even hear herself over the peculiar buzzing in her head. Jasper answered her anyway.

"Edward's Cullen crest wristband." He moved toward the open kitchen door, dragging her bare toes through the puddles and painting lurid streaks across the worn vinyl. "Take this." He put something else in her hand.

Her fingers refused to close around whatever it was, and it hit the floor with a flat thunk. She didn't get a good look, but thought it might have been keys.

Jasper didn't bother to pick them up either. He stepped onto the back porch and pulled the door shut. After he swung Bella up into his arms, he kicked the door open, splintering the jam and embedding the knob in the wall.

"Good," he grunted. Kneeling down, he gripped the wrist of her uninjured hand and obliterated the bloody shoe print.

As he stood, Bella's head lolled bonelessly over his arm. Squinting, she peered sideways into the kitchen.

"Looks like a slasher movie." Her eyelids fluttered as she tried to bring the room into focus. Her father was the police chief. He'd say it looked like a crime scene. "F-fuck."

"Tsk, tsk. Such language."

Bella stared blearily up at Jasper's scandalized look.

"Who gives a shit?" She was having trouble stringing together the words she wanted to say. There was that small problem of even finding words _to_ put together.

There was something about Charlie being a cop …

"Oh, shit! It looks like somebody died in there. Charlie's going to think I was murdered!" Her head fell back over Jasper's arm. She no longer had the strength to hold it up.

Jasper's honey-gold eyes sparked with an inner light. "That's the point."

.

~0~


	3. Set Up: Chapter 3

01/16/2016

 **Disclaimer** : Derivative work. I make no money.

 **A/N** : Third and final chapter, y'all! Thank you so much. The response has been pretty amazing.

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~0~

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"What?" Bella stared up at Jasper's chin. She had never noticed the five o'clock shadow before. It gave him a rugged look. Unlike Edward whose pretty face had been as clear and smooth as a baby's bottom.

 _Which more than matched his infantile personality_ , she thought wryly. What was it about her that kept attracting such clingy, needy little boys? Were they looking for mommies?

Jacob and Edward had both lost their mothers.

Bella felt a miniscule twinge of guilt.

That didn't explain Newton, though.

Maybe she should get her head out of her ass and pay closer attention to the other guys—not just dismiss them all out of hand.

College might be different. There might be more mature men there.

The thought she might not make it to college flittered through her murky brain. She looked uncertainly up at Jasper again.

There was something different about his hair. It moved freely and waved in the air, except where coffee was sticking it together. That was proof enough Alice had been gone a while. She wasn't around to _style_ it with gobs of goo. She had certainly put enough gloppy crap in Bella's hair.

She discovered her face pressed against Jasper's chest. He'd been wearing a grey shirt. What was the red … ?

Was that her _blood_ on his shirt? She squinted up at him. There wasn't any on his face. All that scrumptious goodness leaking right out of her, and Jasper hadn't taken a sip. Or a lick.

Seemed like such a waste. She almost giggled.

Why were the trees moving past them?

Oh. Jasper was walking through the woods. He was moving rather sedately for a vampire.

Peeking down to the ground, she saw he was barefoot. She could never have walked through the forest with naked tender tootsies. She chuckled and asked, "Where's your shoes?"

"Edward's shoes. I kicked them off."

Why had he been wearing Edward's shoes? Jasper's feet were bigger. How had he even gotten them on? She groaned in her confusion and pain. She clenched her teeth against the flaring agony of her throbbing hand and feet, but forced out the question uppermost in her muddled mind at the moment. "What are you doing?"

Jasper glanced down at her and murmured, "Following the plan."

"You were a regular Chatty Cathy at the house and now …" Her voice faded out.

 _Charlie!_

Grief tightened in a constricting band around her chest and grew into a choking knot in her throat. She sobbed, "My blood is all over the kitchen."

"It was perfect." His eyes flicked to hers again. "I didn't even have to _make_ you bleed."

"Make me bleed?"

She clutched at his shirt and struggled to raise her head to look him in the face. Her vision blurred even more as tears welled up and spilled over. "Charlie's gonna think somebody murdered me, and all I left him for dinner was a salad."

Jasper quirked a brow and eyed her in puzzled speculation. Apparently, the blood loss had really gotten to her.

"Your father, and everyone else, is going to think Edward attacked you and dragged you off." He splashed his way into a creek and quickened his pace. "Be still or you'll start bleeding again."

"Oh, it's just like the movies. Everything is getting dark," she gasped dramatically. "I'm _dying_. Gettin' too dark to see. Knock, knock, knockin' on Heaven's door."

Jasper snorted. "Not yet." He began running, holding her securely to his chest. "You know that song?"

Bella let out a derisive snort of her own, her grief having gone as quickly as it had come. "I learned more from the pups than how to ride motorcycles and cuss. They think they're the shit because they listen to classic rock on the radio."

Jasper merely grunted in acknowledgement, and then replied, "Everything is getting dark because … the sun is going down."

"Oh." She started to giggle.

He'd never heard her do that before. He almost jolted to a stop when she started to sing. If one could call what she was doing _singing_.

Bella clutched at the collar of his T-shirt and yanked on it to the beat of the music in her head. "Sundown and you better take care if I find you been creepin' 'round my back stairs." She broke out in peals of laughter.

Just shaking his head at her hilarity, Jasper leapt from the creek and quickly scaled the sloping bank. He soon broke through the trees, and jogged smoothly up to a black SUV parked on the shoulder of the road.

A man with long blond hair was leaning against the front fender, his arms crossed over his chest. He pushed away from it, and opened the back door. "Damn, son, I thought you would be bringin' us a girl. Instead, it sounds like you're stranglin' a cat."

Jasper ducked his head and eased into the back seat, sliding across and settling the still chortling Bella across his lap.

The woman in the front passenger's side flipped her pale hair over her shoulder and leaned over the seat, unfolding a blanket. She arranged it over Bella and began tucking it around her.

When she reclaimed her seat, she draped an elbow over the seatback and frowned at Jasper. "Not that y'all don't smell damn yummy—like a blood-soaked Starbucks—but what _happened_ to her? I thought you were gonna ask her for a _little_ blood."

Jasper grimaced and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. "Charlotte, honest-to-God, she kicked her _own_ ass. I didn't have to do shit in the house besides leave a few little clues here and there. She destroyed the kitchen—it looks like a slaughterhouse. Couldn't have done a better job myself." Jasper smiled fondly down at the frowning beauty in his arms. "Let's go, Pete. The Chief was due home ten minutes ago."

Having hopped into the driver's seat, Pete started the engine and pulled out onto the black top.

Bella thumped Jasper's chest. "Who _are_ these vampires, and what the _hell_ are you doing? I'm dying, remember? My last request is that you tell me what's going on. You have to grant it."

Jasper softly stroked her hair. "Shhh, baby. You're not dying—just a little loopy from blood loss."

"A _little_?" Pete chuckled. "If I didn't know better, I'd say she's drunker than a Southern Baptist preacher at a high school dance."

"I am _not_ your baby!" Bella tried to slap Jasper but missed and hit his neck. "Shit. And I'm not a Baptist, either."

"Can't you zap her with a little knock-it-the-hell-off so she'll stop wigglin'?" Charlotte asked, still watching the both of them.

"I'm only helping her enough to ease her pain. Okay, Bella," he said, trying to soothe her. "Hold still or you'll start bleedin' again." Jasper caught her hand as she tried to slap him a second time and tucked it between them. He pulled the blanket up a little higher to hold her arms down.

Charlotte's nose wrinkled with a little snicker. "You'll be our baby vamp soon enough, sweetie."

"Not helpin', Char." There was a hint of a growl in Jasper's voice. "Bella, I'd like you to meet Charlotte and Peter. For lack of a better term, they're my sister and brother."

Peter thoughtfully turned on the interior dome light, waggled his eyebrows at her, and turned back around to watch the road.

Bella peered at them and dropped her head against Jasper's chest again. "Peter kinda looks like you."

"It's the blond hair, sugar." Peter clicked off the light and glanced into the rearview mirror, obvious mischief in his eye. "I'm actually the better lookin' one."

"And _so_ humble," Bella muttered. "At least Jasper isn't being so pissy anymore," she groused.

Charlotte rubbed Jasper's arm and finished with friendly pat. "He's just glad to see us and happy to get you out of Forks, honey."

"Huh." Bella nodded. "I think I remember … aren't they old friends of yours? They came to visit, and Ed-wad didn't want me to meet them because they're heinous fiends or deplorable monsters or something? Nice to meet you both."

"Ed-wad." Peter outright guffawed. " _Perfect_. She's a pistol, Jasper."

Bella noticed the sneer she thought was permanently etched into Jasper's face was gone. He was smiling so sweetly at her; he looked just like an angel. Sticky-haired, shirt stretched out, and bloodied, but still an angel.

A damn sexy angel.

"Well, this pistol is going to go off if you don't tell me what's up." She attempted a growl, but it only made her cough.

Peter let out a disbelieving groan. "This gal isn't the meek little mouse you told us about, Jas. You sure you got the right one?"

"I got the right one." Jasper eyes dropped to Bella's. "I want you. I'm kidnapping you," Jasper explained, his voice taking on a seductive tone.

"I don't want to be kidnapped," Bella whined. "I have a life, you know. It isn't much of one, but it's _mine_. I have a job, and I'm going to the community college this fall." Her brows drew together in a heated glare. "You guys dumped _me_ , remember?"

" _I_ didn't, and at the moment, it doesn't matter if you want to leave or not. I'm taking you." Jasper's eyes widened slightly. "Like I said before, everyone is going to think Edward murdered you and carted off your body." His face drew closer. "Damn shame he lost his wristband and car keys while you were fighting for your life. You fought valiantly. Your kitchen was destroyed during the struggle. Blood everywhere. I splashed a little around for effect." His nose was touching hers.

"You get them ashes spread around like we talked about?" Peter asked.

"Ashes?" Bella was captivated by the liquid amber of Jasper's eyes.

"Victoria's. She let the stupid dogs chase her right into our trap." Jasper's voice lowered. "Strategically placed, they'll confuse the scents. Not that the wolves can tell the difference between us yet. I'm sure your little buddy, Jake, will be all over it. I left a trail leading to Edward's car parked a few streets away from your house. There's some hidden inside, too."

"Whoa. You _so_ set him up." Bella nodded, impressed.

"That we did, sugar." Charlotte was smiling brightly.

"So what took so long? I mean … it's been _months_. Don't you vampires do everything at hyper-warp-speed or something?"

"Well, sugar," Peter drawled. "Proper preparation prevents piss poor performance."

At Bella's blank look, Charlotte smacked Peter's arm. "Ignore him, please." She gave him a cutting glance. "That ain't all. We even left some ashes at the Cullen mansion. You can bet those mangy mutts will be crawlin' all over _that_ place, and if the Cullens ever go back, they'll be hatin' life."

"My lovely mate and Jasper neglected to mention we didn't burn _all_ of the soulless ginger to ash." Peter grinned saucily at her in the rearview mirror. "Crushed her to glittery dust. One little piece at a time. Burned some. Some of the rest is mixed with the ashes. The rest of it contributed to a little home improvement at Casa de Cullen."

"Huh? Home improvements?" Bella was even more confused.

"Yup," Peter said with a sharp nod. "Sprinkled some of those ashes and vampire fairy dust in some of that blown-in insulation up in the attic. A little may have gotten into the walls of Edward's couch-room—he sure didn't need a bed. Doesn't take much. The Boy Dunder ain't a _real_ vampire, but even _he'll_ smell it. Some got stirred into cement. Poured the Cullens a whole new patio out back."

Charlotte was nodding. "Not her head though. We burned all of that. I mean, she deserved to suffer but not forever. She didn't actually get near ya," she added matter-of-factly. "Her scent will be hauntin' 'em forever. Unless they burn the house down."

"Don't forget the garage, honey." Peter grinned conspiratorially at his wife. "Some of that mix of ashes and vamp dust may have been washed down the floor drains." He turned his attention to the road. "Cryin' shame they took Emmett's Jeep with 'em. They left behind the Vanquish, the BMW, and that stupid, canary-yellow Porsche. Everybody knows Porsches should be black or red. Just a pinch in each of the cylinders—"

"And ka-blewy!" With a huge toothy grin, Charlotte threw her hands wide.

In the dim light from the dashboard, Bella thought they both looked rather proud of themselves. She wished she could see the looks on the Cullens' faces when their _ostentatious_ cars exploded. "Will it blow them up? I mean … the drivers?"

"Nah." Peter reassured her. "Just the engines … I _think_."

Jasper just shook his head at the glee his friends were feeling. They'd been quite creative and had entirely too much fun. He rather enjoyed it himself. He ran his fingers over Bella's head to regain her attention. "Shall I finish my story?" At her nod, he continued. "After Edward dragged you outside and into the woods, he realized he'd lost his keys. He couldn't retrace his steps to look for them because there wasn't time. The car will just have to be abandoned. He had to carry your bleeding body through the woods. He lost his shoes somewhere along the way."

"Stupid ass," Bella grumbled.

"Ain't no lie, sugar," Peter agreed, barking out another laugh.

"Those shoes were too damn small. I could only get half a foot in them." Jasper brushed his nose against Bella's and she snuggled into him.

"And then what happened?" she asked, her eyelids getting heavier and gradually drifting closed. She couldn't decide if she should be incensed at being stolen away from her home or just go to sleep because she was so damn tired. "You know, you smell really good, Jasper."

"Atta boy, Jas." Peter gave him wink as Jasper looked up to him with a delighted smile.

"Yes, Peter. Do tell." Jasper tipped his head down to Bella again. "Then what happened?"

"Well, sweet cheeks," Peter began, " _and_ Jas. In about four or five hours, either the US Border Patrol, the Texas Rangers, or the Mexican Federales are going to detain the errant lad at the border because the stupid-ass keeps _drivin'_ back and forth. You can almost set your watch by him." Peter rolled his eyes. "In another fuckin' Volvo."

Charlotte could hardly contain her giggles. "Instead of runnin' through the desert like a _proper_ vampire. Of course, he doesn't know he's bein' watched. Five hours should be enough time to have flown from here to Texas. They're goin' to hold him until Daddy Cullen's money can get him out—which might take a while. The Forks PD will be receivin' an anonymous tip about his whereabouts here in a bit."

"Oh." Bella let out a sleepy sound that might have been a chuckle. "Good. He's a jerk. What if he breaks out?"

"He'll keep up the charade for a while," Charlotte mused. "Unless they try to do a body cavity search. But if he does, he'll become an _international_ criminal. That could be fun!"

"But what about the Voltaire?" Bella mumbled against Jasper's chest.

"Voltaire?" Charlotte's nose scrunched up again. "The writer?"

"She means the Volturi," Jasper answered. "They've done it before. Carlisle will make a quick call to Aro to tell him everything is under control, while Emmett and Rose hack into computers to make official records disappear, and the Cullens will seemingly drop off the face of the earth for a few years. Until Carlisle gets bored and is back in a hospital somewhere."

Bella sighed and relaxed further into Jasper's arms, but then suddenly stiffened. "You're gonna change me into a vampire? I had plans. I was going to give the college boys a look. Maybe even the professors."

"You're _going_ to be turned." Jasper's silky tone took on a razor sharp edge. "As soon as possible."

Hesitantly, Bella whispered, "I'm going to be a vampire?"

"Yes, you are." Jasper nuzzled her hair, breathing in her scent. "Now you need to be calm, and I'm going to help you with that."

"No!" she protested, but under Jasper's influence, she soon let out a contented sigh. "On the bright side … when I'm a vampire, can I kick Edward's ass?"

"Yes, you can, baby," Jasper murmured in her ear.

Still feeling contrary, she pouted. "I'm _not_ your baby."

"But you are." He brushed his lips over her forehead. "You're _all_ mine. You sleep now."

From the front, came Peter's rumbling approval. "She'll make a good vampire. She'll be a pain in the ass, but she'll be a good one."

"She will." Tenderly pressing his lips to her cheek, Jasper listened to the steady rhythm of her quiet, even breaths. "You're worth it all."

.

~0~

* * *

 **Credits** :

"Knock, knock, knockin' on Heaven's door." ~ "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" by Bob Dylan from the 1973 album _Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid_.

"Sundown and you better take care if I find you been creepin' 'round my back stairs." ~ "Sundown" by Gordon Lightfoot from the 1974 album _Sundown_.


End file.
